Flowers are blossoming everywhere

By David Momphard / STAFF REPORTER

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOPING FOR HOPING

`Hoping for Hoping' might seem a hopeless name for an organization until you learn that the second "hoping" (和平) is actually the Romanization of "peace" in Chinese and that the group is one of the founding members of Taiwan's nascent peace movement.

Their hope is that tomorrow, all peaceable-minded people will turn out for a gathering in Taichung complete with food, drinks and music from 15 local bands. Admission is NT$300 and all proceeds go to local charities.

Jindowin, .22, Dakanow, Milk, Dahai, Anglers, Mandala, Schlumpy, The Deported, Chicken Rice, Boosie Chillin, Rocket Girl!, Robin Dale, Wise Maneouvers, and Blacksummerdaycamp will all take the stage of the Night Sky Outdoor BBQ starting at 2pm with an after party featuring DJs from Chi Funk and the rhymes of Elementality.

"Peace," says organizer Dave Nichols. Hoping for Hoping was founded last year by a group consisting mostly of foreign residents of Taiwan opposed to the US' invasion of Iraq. They met with several like-minded locals and drew some 300 people to a protest rally on the steps of the American Institute in Taiwan last February.

Hsia Chu-joe (夏鑄九), a professor at National Taiwan University and long-time political activist, was among them. He offered a history lesson on Taiwan's peace movement.

"After the lifting of martial law, besides the movement for democracy, there were others, such as the labor movement, the farmers' movement, student movement, womens' movement, gay and lesbian movement and the environmental movement, including people opposed to nuclear power," Hsia said. "We were called the pian di kai hua (遍地開花), `flowers blossoming everywhere.'"

Following that rally, Hoping for Hoping held their first peace rally in Taoyuan County, with many of the same musical acts that will be performing at this year's event.